How to better yourself by getting out of your own way

Does this little scenario sound familiar? You are fortunate enough to know what you want out of life but you can’t get out of your own your way to get it. Your calling is knocking on your door but you are too darn scared to take that first step, or you have no clue where to begin. It is frustrating being you sometimes, right? Well, you are not alone, my friend! I like to call this – Lights, Camera, Inaction.

To learn how to change yourself for the better, you have to realize what’s happening.

It’s when you get all fired up about your dreams but you don’t do a darn thing about it. It’s almost as if there is a proverbial wall between you and your dreams and rather than trying to figure out a way to get through it, you just freeze.

So here’s a little advice… your dreams are not going to magically appear!

I am a perfect example of this unfortunate truth.

From the time I was three years old I wanted to be an actor. While I took classes through the years, I never fully pursued my dream for one reason or another. As I saw it, life always got in the way. Every year brought up another obstacle. One year turned into 5 years and then 10 years until almost 40 years went by! No really.

Time has a crazy little habit of passing by quickly.

I found myself working in the business world and doing very well, but guess what? I was miserable. I used to tell my husband that when I went to work I died a little each day. Sounds a little dramatic now BUT that’s actually how I felt.

Even after all those years I STILL had the gnawing feeling of wanting to become an actor. But now the difference was that I feared I would NEVER do it. The last thing I ever wanted to do was look back as an old lady and say, “Wow I never even really tried”. Ugh!

So very long story short, I got laid off from my job and I finally went out and started taking acting classes, got my headshots taken and started to pursue my dream- one little step at a time.

I have been acting now for several years and have been in films, TV shows, commercials and more. I am in my glory. Most people would have doubted that a forty-something year old mom could actually pull it off. But none of this ever would have happened if I didn’t try.

So, it’s really pretty simple, you have two choices when it comes to bettering yourself…

You can either accept the fact that you have a dream that will always remain just that – a dream, or you can get busy and make it happen. I know the latter is easier said than done but trying is a whole lot more fun than just giving up.

Here’s the good news… knowing what you want is a huge advantage. Do you know how many people struggle with trying to pinpoint what they want to do with their lives? Two words – A LOT. So now let’s get you moving in the right direction.

The very first thing you have to do, can be done anywhere and at any time. It’s simply making the decision to move forward. Once you do that, the doors of opportunity will have the nod to go ahead and start opening. Giving yourself permission to have the life of your dreams is sometimes the hardest part. So go ahead and say, “I give myself permission to have a wonderful life and follow my dreams.”

Enough said! The key is to truly mean it when you say it (and to truly want to change).

The next step is actually taking one small step. This can be anything – a web search, making a contact or creating a list. It can be whatever gets you excited and helps you move forward. The key is not putting it off. So take action today and be proud of yourself for doing it. Then get in the habit of doing something every day.

Since we are starting off small, there is just one other step for now. Close your eyes and see yourself living your dream. I want you to not only see yourself, but to use all your senses to create a lifelike movie of your success. Go crazy! What does it look like, feel like, smell like, sound like and even taste like? If you really get into it, you will start to feel all the juicy emotions that your dream will bring. This feeling will motivate you to keep taking action.

So, whatever your dream may be, you have to be willing to take the leap to change it from dream to reality. It will not happen overnight and may not be easy but time will pass regardless. So why not use it wisely? I know you can do it!

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar

Joelene is the creator of Happiness Depends. After years of working in the corporate world and following someone else’s dream, she took the big leap to finally follow her own dreams. She now enjoys helping others take the 1st step toward theirs.